LONGFORD SLASHERS G.A.A.CLUB 1980 – 2005 MILESTONES.

Since the foundation of the Club in 1954, Longford Slashers were without a home of our own and depended on the goodwill of Longford County Board to play many of our games in Pearse Park. We also rented some fields locally at other times over the years. Despite our best efforts we were unable to acquire the necessary land to develop. However, all that changed in 1978 when we purchased an initial 12 acres at Farneyhoogan. Following extensive development work, our first two pitches were opened on 8th. June 1980 - our first competitive game was a Leader Cup match V Ardagh. The Club grounds, Clubhouse and other facilities were officially opened by the then President of Cumann Luthchleas Gael, Padraic McFlynn, on the 12th. October 1980. This was the culmination of a dream, not just by a few visionaries, but of a great many club members who all made a marvellous and continuing contribution to this great development. By any criteria, our development was considered among the best in the country and set a standard for the G.A.A. which many clubs thankfully and to their credit, have followed. Indeed the progress made throughout County Longford, in particular, is simply breathtaking and to cap it all we have the mecca that is Croke Park to wonder at and to enjoy the summer fruits of the best of Gaelic Football and Hurling in this arena.

On October 2nd. 1988 our Club grounds were dedicated to the memory of the late Michael ‘Smiler’ Fay, who passed to his untimely death in 1986. This was a fitting tribute to a young man who was acknowledged as being the life and soul of the Club and who epitomised all thats best in a sportsman who embraced all codes but who reserved a very special attachment to all things G.A.A. and to his beloved Longford Slashers Club.

On 20th. April 1995 Backstage Theatre and Centre for the Arts opened its doors at our club grounds. An unusual combination of Longford Slashers and Backstage Theatre Group came together to build a state-of-the-art facility which has proved to be a great success and is acknowledged as being a great asset to the town. Our club members have always been involved in the sporting, charitable, cultural and political life of the town and this is yet another example of our contribution to the betterment of the town we love so well.

On April 25th. 2005 another milestone was reached when we opened our new floodlit all-weather playing pitch. Not content to rest on our laurels we foresaw the need for these ultra-modern facilities as we moved into the 21st, century. The additional 6 acres of land we purchased, enabled us to develop this third playing pitch and clearly demonstrated that the spirit of adventure, business acumen, and ambition is still very much alive in Longford Slashers Club

Development of the Clubhouse, Complex and grounds have been the responsibility of ‘Longford Slashers Ltd’ which has been served by the following, in roles of either Chairman , Secretary or Treasurer, Noel Caslin, Hughie Brennan, Hugh Griffen, Aidan O’Brien, Pat Chapman, Michael Gilleran, Martin Jennings, John Murphy , Hal Carey, and many others, who have given continious and invaluable contribution for the p;rovision of, and ongoing development at our Club facilities over the past 25 years

What does the next 25 years hold. ?.